Passing Time
by Priestess Skye
Summary: Four years for her, over five hundred for him. While the past was the past and it was gone, it was not entirely forgotten. The details she could once recall so easily had long since slipped from her memory. But she could never forget him.
1. Hors D'Oeuvers Meeting Again

AN: This is in response to Forthright's Six-Course Challenge on Dokuga_Contest. It will be a 6 part story.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Co. Belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I make no money off this. This is purely for fun.

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He was back. She could feel the nerves fluttering within her lower abdomen. Keeping her head low, Kagome focused on her task, stocking the shelves with the new arrivals. He would be here in a matter of moments, reading the covers of the new releases, perhaps purchasing one that intrigued him, and then he'd move to the coffee shop attached to the bookstore after making his purchase, order a large black coffee and spend the next two hours sipping the beverage while reading the pages of his new book. Often she wondered how he managed to drink the coffee cold, but then men often did strange things, at least according to her friends. Knowing him, he probably wasn't even affected by the change, though she would have thought he'd prefer it hot, wanting to enjoy the finer things.

Most days she detested changing displays, hated boxing up the older books and moving them to their proper shelves, while finding a unique and creative way to set up the new books. She enjoyed perusing what was on the shelves more as she filed away returns. This gave her ample opportunity to study the various authors and see if there was a book she'd enjoy herself. Reading was perhaps the one thing she enjoyed most and while she was outgoing, sociable and enjoyed hanging out with her friends, she took greater pleasure in the quiet moments, the ones where she could curl up in the corner of her room, no interruptions, and get lost in the words that had nothing to do with school, but everything to do with learning something new.

Working at the bookstore only fed into that obsession.

"Hey, Kagome, break soon?" a friend called. She looked up from her task, carefully glancing at the man before turning to her friend. Shaking her head, she silently told her to wait. The silver-haired man was browsing just in front of her.

Holding her breath, Kagome tried not to stare. Most found staring to be rude and insulting and she knew, experience had taught her that this one would consider it more so than others. She had learned many things from her encounters with him five hundred years ago. Propriety was important, as was keeping her nose out of where it didn't belong, and as she was never part of his entourage, it certainly didn't belong anywhere near him. But she could admit to curiosity. It was difficult to not be curious when it had been so long since she last saw him. Four years for her, over five hundred for him. While the past was the past and it was gone, it was not entirely forgotten. She had spent countless hours trying to document it, and still had countless more to spend. However, memory loss was an unfortunate side effect of time. As it passed, her memories of her time in feudal Japan faded, and she could no longer remember things with the great clarity she once had. It was frustrating. The details she could once recall so easily, such as the smell of fresh air, the crystal clear night sky, the feel of Inuyasha's body against hers as he warmed her during the cold winters had long since slipped from her memory.

But she could never forget him. Or any of the others.

Black strands of hair fell in front of her face as she squatted low to grab another pile of books from the box. She took a moment and opened the cover of the top one, reading the inside cover. Another mystery, and while intriguing, it wasn't her cup of tea. She would read this one at some point, maybe, but not right now. It wouldn't be the book she'd bring home after she was finished her work. It wouldn't aid in her cause to write her own great story. She stood, placed the last book from the box on the table and crushed the box, laying it flat on the cart. Three more boxes, three more tables. She wondered if he'd recognize her today.

The man was still there, reading the inside cover of the book she had just put out. She smiled as he scoffed too, setting the book back on the pile as if it weren't good enough. How many times over the past two months had she seen him do this very thing? Sometimes once a week, sometimes twice. Often she wondered where he ever got the money to spend on books like this and decided that his job must be important enough to feed his own obsession. Unlike her, he couldn't simply borrow books at will. It was a book store, not a library. However, there were times too when rational thought would win out. Sesshoumaru was a youkai of stature, one who had survived several centuries to make it into the twenty-first, when others had clearly perished along the way. If he didn't work, then somehow he had managed to amass a large fortune over the years.

Kagome was surprised to have seen him in the store months earlier when she had first started her job. The job not only fed her addiction, but it also helped pay for the extra schooling and tutoring she needed to catch up to other students her age. Her chances of making it into a reputable school had vanished when her attendance records displayed dismal results. Without a doctor's note to back up her grandfather's claims of illness, she was treated no better than a truant. Her friends made it into one of the better high schools in her district. She counted herself luck to make it into one period. The others had received scholarships for various universities. Sighing, she had long since given up on the idea of post-secondary education. She had the shrine to fall back on and knew one day she would take over for her grandfather. But that wasn't what she wanted from life. The tutors and extra schooling would help get her somewhere, and while she would never be working in a doctor's office, or perhaps a classroom, but maybe between that and her new found love of writing, she'd find something she'd enjoy.

"Do you know him?" her friend asked as Sesshoumaru picked up a book she had placed on the shelf only moments ago, a historical drama. Kagome had nearly chuckled that, knowing that he'd be the one being who would be able to point out all of the inaccuracies portrayed by the author. Most could only dream of them. He had lived through them.

"Yes," she whispered back, her eyes following him to the cash register. For months now this had been his routine. His normal spot in the coffee shop attached to the store had just opened. It would only be a few minutes before he was seated there, reading chapter one.

"He's hot. Go speak to him."

Kagome waved a hand at her friend, brushing her off for the time being. One did not merely approach Sesshoumaru and expect to hold a simple conversation with him. One did not merely converse with Sesshoumaru. One had to be invited to exchange words with him, and even then they had to be important words, words worthy enough of his attention. What would she say to him? 'Do you remember me? I used to travel with your half-brother and yes, I'm human, but I'm still alive five years later. I'll explain another day.'

No, she couldn't approach him. But she enjoyed watching him. Somehow over the years he had grown to be even more dignified. The changes to his person were subtle, but there. He wore glasses now when he read, just a small pair of rounded spectacles that sat half way down on his nose. Whether they were cosmetic or he had an eye problem, she wasn't aware. Perhaps it was merely a way to disguise himself from others who may recognize him. Perhaps he was merely trying to adapt to society. Many older men wore glasses.

And he had chopped his hair off too, so it sat at his shoulders, fluffed lightly so the ends stuck out. But still, there was no mistaking the great western lord. Even without his markings his regal bearing gave him away. She could feel the power roll off him, feel the way his youki spread over the area, searching for any threats, declaring his dominance over others.

"He's too old for me," she replied in jest to her friend. Though he didn't look it, it was the truth. He was much too old for her both in terms of age and wisdom and knowledge. He had the opportunity to experience far greater than she ever could, and she knew his life had barely begun. He would live for several more millennia still. "I wonder if he gets lonely," she murmured, shifting her back so she wasn't directly facing him when he turned in her direction. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to recognize her yet. More so, she wasn't sure if she could handle having to face what she was in the process of putting so neatly behind her.

He had trimmed his nails, she noticed, so they were blunted at the tips, rather than sharp like claws. For whatever reason he was forced to remove probably the most simple and probably most effective of weapons. Had he forced himself to blend in? Or was this a conscious decision he made on his own? His shadow stood over her for a second as she was crouched low, shifting through the box. Then it was gone as she saw him make his way over to the cashiers, book in hand. Much to her chagrin, she had missed the title. Checking out the titles of the books he bought had become somewhat of a game for her. Sometimes she would end up purchasing the same book as it sounded interesting. Other times she merely wanted to study the types of books he read. Most times it was an unconscious event to find a connection between them.

Hot breath floated by her ear momentarily, "join me," before disappearing entirely. Too shocked to do much more than stand there, she regained enough of her senses to look up and see him walking toward the small coffee shop. His normal table was free and she could already see the clerk making his coffee. She was still unused to not seeing his normally long hair flowing as he walked, and blushed as she saw the musculature of his back through his crisp, white button down shirt. It wasn't until he sat down with his coffee that she noticed two cups, not one, and his golden gaze piercing her own.

"I'm going on break," Kagome whispered to her co-worker, trying to settle the increasing fluttering within her abdomen. Four years was a long time and she wasn't sure if she was ready to rehash old memories out loud yet. On paper was one thing. She saw the words she put them down, but she didn't have to hear them, she didn't have to truly understand them. This would be different. He played a role back then and she knew that by sitting with him he would play a role once more. Still, she couldn't refuse the invitation, knowing that it would never again be offered if she turned it down.

"Sesshoumaru," she inclined her head as she took a seat, and reached for the second cup of coffee. Four years later they had both changed, she thought. Both were significantly more experienced. She was certainly more mature. She didn't know how she would have handled such an encounter four years ago, especially so soon after her return. It was as if the extra years acted as a cooling period for whatever emotion was consuming her back then.

"You asked if I ever get lonely," he continued, leaning back, his gaze ghosting over the silver wire rim of his glasses, confirming her first thought. They were cosmetic, merely meant to help disguise his identity. She knew her answer then. He was surrounded by people day in and day out at whatever job it was that he chose to do. But none of them knew who he truly was. She understood that. Averting her eyes, she gazed into the black liquid in her cup for a moment, before lifting them once more to meet his.

"Not anymore."


	2. Bisque Waxing Philosophical

They stood on the beach, watching the sunset beneath the horizon. They stood for hours, not saying a word to each other. He was simply not the of the talkative sort, and she didn't know what to say. What did one say to somebody they hadn't seen in five hundred years and suddenly walks back into her life? The other day in the coffee shop, that was different. Kagome spent her time merely taking him in, and they barely touched upon the past. She could not speak openly of the well as long as they were in a public coffee shop, nor could he speak of his years with others listening.

And fifteen minutes only allowed for the barest of pleasantries to be exchanged.

"There's a well on my property," she began, brushing the wind-blown hair out of her face. "I don't know how, but somehow it developed a time vortex and it doubled as a portal. One day I accidentally fell into it and I pulled myself up into the feudal era, five hundred years ago. It was on my fifteenth birthday. And I thought my biggest problem that day was what to do with the monkey's hand my grandfather gave me as a gift."

She heard him chuckle and stood amazed for a moment. In the fifteen minutes she had enjoyed with him the other day, Kagome had witnessed the range of emotion that crossed his face. The Sesshoumaru she once knew had somehow disappeared. While he was still stoic in nature, she'd have never thought that he knew how to feel. How had Inuyasha managed to influence her perceptions like that? She imagined it would take a bit to get used to this. "As I wandered and travelled through the years, I began to see more girls dress as you did in recent years. Upon seeing the different school uniforms of today, I could only conclude that somehow you were a girl from this time as well, sent back."

"My mother calls it my destiny," she confessed, bending so that she fell to the ground, her knees resting in the sand. "I think it's the only way she knows how to cope with what happened, or with the idea that my journey to the past wasn't all sunshine and roses, that there was actual danger. I had a purpose, a goal to achieve. I was destined to save the world from darkness. That's how she sees it."

"Your mother is very perceptive," he acknowledged, standing above her. Kagome scowled, wishing he'd at least step to the side. Very little seemed to have changed and at the moment, she found him to be rather intimidating, despite the fact that she felt safe with him. But she didn't like him towering over her. It made her feel small...fragile...human. "You would not have been sent back if your presence was not required."

"And yet I didn't do anything to help defeat Naraku. I was a hindrance. I barely knew how to fight. If it weren't for my reiki, the arrows I shot would have done nothing. And I have no official training." She didn't know why all of these things were pouring out of her mouth. Perhaps it was because she finally had somebody she could speak to, somebody who was there, and didn't think her crazy. All of her friends had believed her sick. Most had moved on when they graduated high school. She was still taking night classes, trying to catch up on what she had missed. She wasn't anywhere near their level and while they insisted they loved her dearly, she could understand why they didn't stick around. They were all in university. They had met a new crowd, one at their level. Who wouldn't want that in their life? But if she had told them her story was legitimate, that wasn't just merely a story that she had come up with and needed to be told, she'd be thought of as crazy. They all knew of Inuyasha, her 'deadbeat boyfriend'. They didn't want to know anything about who he truly was.

"Your impact was far greater than you would have ever known. Inuyasha and I met and spoke over it once. He was old, ready to move on with his life. You helped him reach that point. He had told me that you allowed him to see perspective. Seeing as he was a stubborn child to begin with, I'd say this was quite a feat."

Kagome smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. So much time had passed and yet it wasn't enough. Sesshoumaru brought it all back simply by standing next to her and she didn't know if she should kiss him for it, thank him for the memories, or scream and yell. She had spent so much of her time trying to move past it. Writing it down, immortalizing the story as she was doing was supposed to be her way of moving past, of moving forward. He was bringing it back to a stand still.

"For a man who has always had nothing to say, you seem to be saying a lot today," she teased, pushing the sand into small piles with her hands. She needed to keep them busy, occupied.

"One only speaks when one has something to say."

The sentence was cryptic to say the least. "You've changed."

"We've all changed," he countered. "Time has forced me to adapt. Youkai have all but disappeared, only a handful of us left. Most got to be too greedy and ignored the growing strength of the human race. I swore that I would not fall into that trap." He looked out to the shore. "These lands are still mine by birthright. You'll never find acknowledgement of this in your human books, nor would I ever try to legally claim them, but I know."

"How can you stand to watch them fall apart?" she asked, brushing the sand off her hands before standing up. She tired of him standing over her. She was tired of everybody standing over her so to speak. Still, she had difficulty looking at him, meeting his eyes. The intensity was still there, and they still reminded her of Inuyasha. "Five hundred years ago I stood in this spot and saw trees for as far as I could see. I could travel half a day's walk from here and come across a hot spring. Any development was farmland. Now it's all buildings and roads. Concrete. Some of it can be pretty; most of it is not. I know you would have never wanted to see anything like this. We humans have destroyed it. I probably didn't know how much until I was able to take the time to stand back and just look around."

"Change is inevitable. I cannot stop it. I can control it. There are agencies designed to preserve what was once there."

"And you, how have you changed? Other than being this talkative?"

There was a small boardwalk about a mile down the beach, Kagome noted as they turned toward it and began walking. When he had called earlier and asked her to come for a drive with him, she had no idea that he meant all the way out to the coast. Her mother wouldn't be worried, she knew, as she had already spoken with her regarding Sesshoumaru. Her mother thought it would be the closure she needed. She didn't need closure. She didn't need to forget. She just wanted both, and had spent so much time trying to get both while moving forward with her own life. It was funny. She had thought she was nearly there, finally content with where she was and all it took was one coffee for her to realize that she was nowhere near close.

Still, she had moved on somewhat. She no longer really grieved over what she had lost. There wasn't that deep, blinding pain that she first felt when she was removed from the others. So maybe this was the final step she needed. It felt right anyway, standing here and talking with him. "What is it that you do to pass time? Five hundred years is a long time to live without doing anything."

"For a human, yes," he conceded, leading them down the way. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, his silver hair blowing in the breeze coming off the ocean. She was still shocked to see it cut so short, though she guessed that was part of his of blending in. Silver hair stood out if you weren't over the age of sixty, and Sesshoumaru didn't look a day over twenty-five. Keeping it long would make him that much more of an oddity. He wouldn't be able to hide amongst the humans. "For a youkai such as myself five hundred years is nothing more than a blip. Still, wealth needed to be accrued. It was quickly becoming apparent that it was no longer physical power and might that ruled this world, but gold. Survival tactics changed. I spent many years dealing in antiquities. I still have a collection and every now and again I'll put a piece to auction."

"So that's it? The great and powerful Sesshoumaru does nothing but auction off the pieces he's collected over the years?"

"No," he smirked. "Knowledge is power. You knew this first hand with your schooling. Inuyasha once told me that despite how much he despised your tests, there were times where what you had learned here was useful back then. How did it feel, Kagome? Do you remember how it felt knowing that you knew something that others didn't? And it was often successful?"

"Arrogant," she admitted. "I felt arrogant and proud knowing that nobody else but me could have known such a thing. It was such a useless thing to feel because it has gotten me nowhere. I'm still struggling to finish my high school, and maybe, just maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll find a local college who will be willing to take on a mature student."

"One day," he murmured. "There are scholarships available for students such as yourself. Some schools will accept mature students. It softens their look when it comes to funding and grants from some of the older donors. I told you. Money talks."

"So, you never answered my question," she prodded, ignoring his previous comment regarding grants. She knew it was wishful thinking, though, as a shrine child she maybe able to get a small one. Some agencies she knew would smile upon those in service to others. She had spent many years, and still did work for her grandfather at the shrine.

"I teach," he replied simply. "History to be exact, at Tokyo University."

"I guess you would have a speciality in that field," she teased.

He smirked, yet said nothing. This was the Sesshoumaru that she knew, silent, stoic, yet was able to convey his thoughts in a single wordless gesture. She had often seen this by-play with Inuyasha. Only then the smirk was dangerous. Today it was more teasing in nature. He was the same, yet different. Much like herself he had grown and evolved.

"I'd love to travel again," she smiled wistfully, thankful that she had somebody she could speak to of such matters openly. Or at least she hoped. He looked at her, but didn't say a word, just simply allowed her to speak her mind. It was refreshing to know that she could bring these things up without judgement. "I think if I've learned one thing in my travels to and from the feudal era, it's the discovery of new things. I can't afford it, but I want to earn enough money where I could travel, see the world, learn new things through experience."

"It's a foolish dream," she conceded, coming to this conclusion before he could say anything. "There are things that tie me down here. It's funny how I've reached my destiny, I've saved mankind from darkness, and yet I still don't know what it is that will really make me happy. Me, not everybody else. It's selfish, but I think it's my turn now."

"From one selfish being to another, it's expected."

"And yet you offer me no words of inspiration. Thank you. I'm tired of falsities"

Bright lights entered their field of view. Shops were lined up along the boardwalk offering all sorts of paraphernalia that she knew tourists swamped over. They were all the same, whether here at the boardwalk buying souvenirs or at her shrine during festivals buying her charms. "I'm in the mood for some ice cream," she changed the subject, walking ahead. "Want some?"

He shook his head, but pulled out his wallet anyway. It was a good night, she decided. Emotional, philosophical, and certainly not what she could consider an ideal date, though they weren't on a date. But she had found somebody who understood her and for the first time, she found herself in a relaxed state. It was enough for now.

AN:

Part two of Dokuga_Contest's Six Course Menu Challenge. This is for the second prompt: Bisque, which is spooning Cream and savouring flavours. And no, the spooning cream isn't the scooping of the ice cream lol. That was added for giggles. I'm looking at this as adding more depth, beginning to enjoy each other's company. That's the fun of interpreting prompts.

Anyway, a big thank you is going to go out to Wiccan as well, who will no doubt be along shortly with her mighty red pen and begin editing out my errors. Thank you Wiccan! I need to make you a new beta banner soon :P


	3. Intermezzos Hanami

Pink blossoms surrounded them and filled the city, raining down on the streets in the gentle breeze. For these few days she could forget the fact that she was in modern day Tokyo. The air smelled sweet and reminded her of a time when it wasn't filled with so many chemicals. The shrine grounds were filled with people, young, old, Japanese and tourists alike, all there to celebrate Hanami. Her grandfather was in his glory as he regaled tales of his youth, or stories she had long ago written off as myths. Souta, being in high school now, enjoyed the fact that the young girls of his class were nearby and giggling. She didn't miss the way he blushed around several of them, or eyes widened at several more. And her mother merely looked content as she swept the grounds.

She herself was content as she manned the charm counter in her shrine maiden's outfit. It was one of the few times of the year she'd willingly put it on, having developed a severe dislike of the uniform from personal and past experience. Inuyasha had made her hate it. There was not a soul in Tokyo today who would remember Kikyou...scratch that, only one soul who did, and she knew that it didn't make any difference to him. Her hatred of the outfit was purely psychological. It didn't matter that the world had long forgotten Kikyou, she hadn't. Neither had Inuyasha. Even fifty years didn't seem to dull the memory of her within him.

"Kagome, come on a picnic with us!" Eri called out, her arm wrapped around the waist of her current boyfriend. Sighing, Kagome shook her head no. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with her friends, but it was that they were in different places right now. Visiting twice a year was not the way to maintain a solid friendship, especially when they all had fairly easy access to e-mail. But it wasn't socially acceptable for her friends to be hanging around somebody their age who wasn't attending university. She had become a social stigma. The times that her friends came around it almost seemed like charity. And it was okay. Sort of. There were days when she would be pissed off knowing that she herself had once set aside social norms to help somebody out, and he turned out to be her best friend, as well as first love. Why did people feel the need ostracize others? Sure, her friends didn't do it on purpose, but it was still happening.

The routine today was fairly simple. Many families gathered at the shrine to pay homage to the oldest tree in town, the Goshinboku. Some stayed to eat their lunch. Most would move on and visit one of the local parks. Regardless, it was good for business and provided some much needed income for the property. Her grandfather would use reinvest it, hopefully in some structural repairs, though she knew he had his eye on an antique or two. Her mother would ensure that it would be spent wisely. And she now had her own income, such as it was, from the local bookstore. Though hours there could be sporadic, it did help a little when it came to how much her mother had to support her.

She pulled another set of charms out from a box and smiled as another bunch of giggling teenage girls came to the counter to purchase them. If they didn't, then their boyfriends or school friends did. It was a day to be social and have fun. Part of her was upset that she couldn't partake in today's festivities as she used to. She missed being able to sit on a table cloth and laugh with her friends. Well correct that, laugh freely with them. They had spent many Hanami festivals together in the park stealing food from each other's bento box, and whatever else they chose to bring. Eri's eyes always managed to wander to nearest hot guy while Ayumi preferred to keep hers focused on the books. Those days were long gone.

Now she watched as everybody else did that. It wouldn't be too bad, she told herself. She'd still get to talk to those who came up to the shop. And maybe, just maybe _he_ would show up and take her up on her invitation. She had a contingency plan. She may not be fifteen anymore, and her friends may have moved on, but that didn't mean that she couldn't have her own fun.

"One please." She looked up, startled to see Sesshoumaru standing before her, his face stoic as ever as he examined the paper charms with kanji written up on them. In his hand he held a few coins, enough to pay for the charm. But it didn't answer the question as to why he chose to even buy one. Surely he didn't need any good luck. He had survived some of the most turbulent and violent times in history. He had managed to pull himself away at the end of the Second World War and survived the devastation that millions of others hadn't. He was good luck epitomized, and yet he looked at the charms as if they would bring him more.

"It's powerless you know," she commented as she handed one to him. "My grandfather blessed them and he has no power within him. It won't bring you anything."

He raised his eyebrows in amusement at her explanation. Of course he knew, she thought as she collected the money. The most powerful youkai on the planet would recognize objects of power. And he had met her grandfather already, knew of his inability to cast any potent spells, good luck, protection or otherwise. "Why do you want a powerless charm?" she asked, her own eyes narrowing at him. Stoic as ever, his didn't give anything away. He never gave anything away. The humour was there. She had seen bits of it creeping through their visits. The understanding was there as well, the emotion, everything that he had kept so contained in the past was made visible in the past month. They weren't new, she knew, but only let out of their box.

"I simply wish to invest in a local shrine," he replied coolly. "I find myself wanting to invest in many things that survive history, and this shrine has been around for at least a hundred and fifty years."

Her family's history was something she did not want to discuss today. She could discuss it anytime she wished around the dinner table with her grandfather. He would delight in telling her of her family's history over and over and over again. Today was about opening him up more. It seemed that he loosened up a little bit more with each meeting. He would always start off cold, as if it were to remind her as to who he was, well used to be she amended. But he warmed up fairly quickly. "Come on," she declared, stepping away from the counter. Souta would cover it gladly. If not he, then one of his friends. How could they resist the line-up of teenage girls? Most of them were cute and almost all wanted a charm for good luck in love. Both she and her brother had fought over the charm counter earlier, and only because she wasn't sure if Sesshoumaru would deign to show up today.

Their friendship was complicated to say the least. Allies, yes; acquaintances, most definitely. She liked to think that they were friends. Good friends. They had a closeness that she didn't share with anybody else, save her family, and the last time she had felt this safe around another male was four years ago with Inuyasha. The fact that Sesshoumaru was still the world's deadliest assassin should have warned her off. If not that, then the fact that they used to be enemies should. However, they shared a history together and though it wasn't romantic in nature as some would expect, it was just as deep. They knew each other in a capacity that others around them didn't. "Ma saw a prime spot in the park adjacent to the shrine. It's perfect for a picnic. She even prepared the food."

She left to drag him across, only to find him standing still at the top of the stairs staring at her pointedly. "I don't do picnics," he declared, his golden eyes like ice, the merciless cold she used to know.

"The _old_ you didn't do picnics," she argued back, smiling, intent on winning. Warmth was the only thing she knew that could break ice, and she was determined to at least cause a crack in his. She had found him. He wasn't getting away. And he most certainly was not going to get his way in everything either. She wanted to look ahead, not back, and somehow she knew he was the key to that. It just felt right. "The _new_ you will enjoy the picnic. You need to step outside of the box you've encased yourself within. The spot is secluded, quiet. We're surrounded by trees and my mother makes an awesome bento box. Not to mention," she continued, her eyes sliding towards his slyly. She had him, hook line and sinker. He just didn't know it yet. "The bookstore let me borrow a book that I think is right up your alley." His own eyes narrowed and she wanted to laugh. The ice had shifted, changed into something akin to curiosity, though he would never admit it. She had learned from previous discussions that while he knew she worked at the bookstore, he didn't come specifically to see her. He wanted his books. Coffee with her later on was just a perk. "New book, set to be released on Friday, fiction and focuses on Japanese samurai warriors."

"My so-called box has served me well to date," he commented, his hand reaching up to grab her elbow to lead her to the house. Kagome smiled knowingly. Her plan was working out as well as she thought it would.

"Things change, Sesshoumaru," she chided. "You're probably the only person who knows that better than I. Live a little," she challenged, her eyes bright. "Try something new. A picnic will not harm you. I'm bringing food, beverage and entertainment. All you need to do is bring yourself."

"Hn."

She had as good as won the argument she cheered inwardly. One for bright, cheery Kagome, zero for stuck up Sesshoumaru. Nobody would ever believe this momentous occasion. "Are you in or out?" she demanded, wanting an actual commitment from him. "And don't say yes simply because you want to humour me. Say yes because you want to try something new."

"Japanese samurai warriors?" he asked.

"Yes. Think hard enough about the releases set for this week and you'll know precisely which one it is. Let me go get the bentos and the book and we'll be on our way." She fought hard not to walk with a skip in her step. She had won a very big victory today. Sesshoumaru didn't bend for anybody.

"Change first," he blurted out and she whipped around, confident she'd see disdain on his face. Instead she saw surprise, as if he couldn't believe what it was he had said.

"Pardon me?"

"Change. That garb does not suit you."

Anger filled her at his arrogance. Who was he to decide how she dressed? "Does it matter what I wear? We're not going to some five star restaurant where I need to be dressed in a gown. This is a picnic."

"It does not suit you," he repeated. "It didn't suit you five hundred years ago; it does not suit you now. I will wait." She stood in stunned silence as she heard what had brought it on. She had the very same issue with the garb in feudal Japan. She refused to wear it simply because it reminded Inuyasha of Kikyou, and she was not Kikyou. However, that had nothing to do with Sesshoumaru.

"You will wait," she muttered, repeating him in disbelief of his arrogance.

He sighed, a very un-Sesshoumaru-like thing. "You misunderstand me," he declared, clearly irritated that he needed to explain himself.

"You just told me that you don't like my clothes," she huffed, her own eyes like fire.

"I do not. But you clearly do not like them either. If you were proud of the habit you'd be standing tall. They remind you of Inuyasha's dead priestess. A very foolish thought as you are clearly not her. You do not bear the slightest resemblance to her."

"We are identical," she bit out.

"Physically, yes, but that is where it ends. They do not suit _you_. Change."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. They possibly meant more to her than anything anybody had ever said. Kagome smiled brilliantly. Whether or not he knew what he had just done, she was deeply thankful. Perhaps, for the first time in her life, somebody was her. H wasn't seeing the priest's daughter, or Kikyou 2.0. Without regard to his own feelings on the matter, she lifted herself up on her toes, as he was too tall otherwise, and lightly brushed her lips over his cheek, momentarily surprised at the heat coming off him. "Thank you," she replied, turning to run before he could see the blush staining her cheeks.

But it didn't prevent her from hearing his last thought. She doubted he even knew that he was loud enough for her to hear. "Not like Kikyou at all."

AN:

A thank you goes out to Hairann and Wiccan who helped me dissect the chapter to make it work. Thank you ladies! A thank you also goes out to Wiccan for the previous betas and the upcoming betas.

This story is part of Dokuga_contest's Six Course Menu Challenge and written for prompt three – Intermezzos (Contrasting Coldness, Refreshing Tartness) and I took it as a play on their personalities. I love prompts that are open to my own interpretation.


	4. Entree Ghosts

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru placed his hands on the rough bark of the Goshinboku. While his hands didn't shake, not that she expected them to; they were hesitant, as if he were afraid to touch the tree. It held so much significance for them both. She had so many memories of the tree, both from her childhood and her time in feudal Japan. She didn't know what he remembered while running his fingertips over the knot where Inuyasha's arrow once stood embedded. He didn't offer any hints either. His face was carefully schooled, blank. Years of practice and necessity had taught him that skill, and it was one she had mastered herself, wanting to avoid questions from her friends upon her final return. There was a time when it hurt too much to think of what she left behind.

She watched him curiously now; his palm was pressed flat against the tree, his eyes closed. It was as if he were trying to listen for a heartbeat. It wouldn't surprise her either if he found one. Often she thought this tree was alive, filled with its own spirit. Her mother once told her that 'trees of ages' were special because they contained the memories of years past, and continued to build memories as they aged. While the tree was old in terms of age, she was sure it would last at least another thousand years. It would watch her children grow up and play around it, and her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and so on, and so forth. As long as there was a Higurashi on the shrine, it would continue to live and prosper. If there had been one constant, it was the tree.

"When I was seven, I spent a summer alone here without my friends. Their mothers had chosen to take them away for a summer, but my family couldn't afford to join them. It's hard living on a shrine as the income is limited. You basically live off what the tourists bring in and any government funding… with the catch that the government funding has to go straight back into shrine, not so much the family that takes care of the land. Anyway, I spent the entire summer basically attached to the tree. I climbed it and thought of the adventures I could have in far-away lands. I'd climb halfway up and it was enough to see the large urban sprawl of Tokyo. I would sit under it and have tea parties, or play with the dolls my grandfather would give me… and, you know, I never felt like I was alone." Her own hand touched the trunk. She could feel the pulse of its life beneath her palm. "I visit it for an entirely different reason now, and it's still not lonely. As I've grown its purpose has changed and evolved, but it's always been there. It's a constant within all of the chaos."

Often she wondered how much more time she would have with the tree. Would it wither, and die, and disappear like most other things? She sincerely hoped not. She had dreams of allowing her own children to play beneath it, perhaps having their own tea parties with their dolls, or playing with wooden swords as they practiced their kendo. She could see herself wanting them to participate in kendo. While it was too violent for many others over the years she had learned to appreciate the skill that came with handling a sword.

"Six hundred years ago I first came to this tree seeking out my brother," Sesshoumaru began, his eyes still giving away nothing. Even his voice. To most it would be without inflection, but she could hear the emotion beneath. Despite trying to hide it, it was heavy. They had shared so much already that she knew it would be impossible to ever believe that the youkai before her was without feeling.

"Inuyasha loved this tree," she murmured. "I doubt being pinned there was a coincidence. He found sanctuary in it, which was odd because one never finds sanctuary in the spot where they were cursed. But he returned daily to the tree unless we were off somewhere far and away. If we were in Edo at all, though, he would just get up, leave, and sprint off to the tree and sit, even if just for a few minutes. I remember following him once. Of course he knew I was there," she laughed half-heartedly. "He could smell me instantly and I know he could hear Kirara. But I watched him and he didn't do anything but stand beneath the tree looking up. It looked as if they were sharing something, which is ridiculous because it's only a tree and they can't talk."

She frowned a moment. "Kikyou pinned him there. It makes me wonder if there was a connection between this tree and the two of them or if it was happenstance. Inuyasha never spoke of his time with Kikyou before he was pinned, and Kaede was just a child. While she knew something, she didn't know the whole story."

"Inuyasha was a fool," he stated, looking upward. "He allowed his emotions to rule at that moment. His anger cost him."

"There is nothing wrong with having emotions," Kagome chided lightly. She reached over and placed her hand atop his on the tree and frowned. She could feel the heat of his skin, but missed the heartbeat of the tree. "Inuyasha's greatest strength was in his ability to feel. He was able to protect his friends and loved ones."

Kagome cringed as she felt Sesshoumaru stiffen beneath her. Her words clearly had an effect on him and it took her a moment to realize why. Rin. He had loved Rin and spent his years protecting her, then cherishing the memory of her. "You were strongest when you had Rin nearby," she placated. "We could all see it in your attacks. They were less refined, but the impact was headier. And she was your biggest cheerleader, always believing that her Sesshoumaru-sama would save the day. You can't deny your own emotion."

"I don't," he defended. "I choose to control it instead. Every being has emotion. However, not many can control it as I do. I choose not to let it dictate my life."

"And how do you do that? Do you let logic prevail at all times? Is it logical to be standing underneath the Goshinboku and reminiscing about things long gone? There's nothing we can do to bring them back. We can't go back in time and go through it again. I should know, I have tried. The well is sealed. It's illogical to be standing here doing what we're doing, but we're here nonetheless. That's emotion leading us to places. And would you have asked me to sit with you in the bookstore that day if you didn't let your emotion guide you? You were lonely, but you could have made the choice to stay that way. You didn't."

"Is it not logical to wish to chat with somebody with whom you have an acquaintance?" he countered. He turned and leaned his back against the tree, before sliding down to sit on the ground. She watched him as he did so, sitting as she so often saw Inuyasha, the back of his head pressed against the trunk, an arm slung lazily over his bent knee. However, where Inuyasha simply looked lazy, Sesshoumaru had an air of refinement. Even in his small gestures he was still so graceful. "You yourself said that I was lonely. Perhaps I was. It is difficult living all these years and maintaining connections. Inus, by nature, are social creatures. We are pack animals. It was not so much emotion as it was instinct. Even you, as a human should understand instinct. Part of you tells you to be wary of me still. Experience has taught you that I can be deadly. Yet you are drawn anyway. Something even deeper inside is telling you that you're safe with me. That is instinct. It is distinctly different than emotion."

"The world is not black and white," she murmured, moving next to him, leaning against the tree. She remained standing. "There appears to be layers of grey on everything. I don't understand sometimes, though. What changed, Sesshoumaru? What makes you so different from your brother? You're both tied to memory. In a way, I am too. Part of me wants to let go and move forward, part of me has, and part of me is afraid to let go. What if I lose myself along the way? Those years defined so much of who I am now. I am stronger now because of it, both physically and emotionally. I'm stuck in limbo, more so than you. You have moved on. I brought it back."

He reached over and placed his arm on hers; pulling her so she stood before him. "Sit," he commanded and, though his tone brooked no argument, she knew he would not fight if she chose to ignore him. Instead she took sanctuary in what was familiar to her, allowing his arms to come around her. His body was warm, welcoming, something she had never associated with Sesshoumaru until a few months ago, until they took the time to sit under a flowering tree and read a book. He was so different from the Sesshoumaru she once knew, but he was right, despite the danger she knew he posed, she felt safe with him. Wanted. And she had moved on, sort of. "I think it is not so much the torment of being stuck in limbo that bothers you, but the inability to make peace with it. You need closure with Inuyasha, more than you've allowed yourself. I made peace with Rin four hundred years ago. I spent fifty years wandering around aimlessly. I did not love her as one loves a wife, but she was still pack, and still mine. Never having experienced the death of somebody close, it was difficult."

"Your father…" she began.

"He was youkai. His relationship was a distant one. When I came of age it was no longer a paternal relationship, but one that was defined by skill sets. I longed to overpower him, not because he was my sire, but because he was stronger than I. Rin was the first creature who came to me not because of who I was. That was insignificant to her. The fact that I was the most powerful youkai meant nothing to her. I spent years denying the implications of it. Wasting years on something that you cannot change is not wise. You cannot change the past. You cannot go back to it, as you said. But to waste the rest of your life trying to relive it is foolish as well. I have moved past it. Now the time has come for you to do the same."

"This is so unlike you," she joked, relaxing back into him. "The great Sesshoumaru, cold, calculating, a ruthless killer, is also poetic in nature. Life has changed you."

"I chose to live, not merely exist. You remind me of the past, but you are not from it. I do not view you in such a light."

Closing her eyes, she basked in his warmth, in the security he surrounded her with. "I have great difficulty reconciling you with the Sesshoumaru I once knew. You are different." She reached up, pressed her lips against his jaw, a symbol of both respect and adoration. Perhaps she wasn't as deeply stuck in limbo as she once thought she was. The God tree was still there, a strong reminder of everything that had once happened. But everything around it had changed, also a symbol of time and how it has progressed, moved on. "I'm glad for it."

"You are different too, better for it. You just need to realize it yourself."

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. His words continued to repeat themselves in her head, and she smiled. She had moved on. Four and a half years ago she had sat beneath this tree for an entirely different reason, tears filling her eyes. Today she was content, nearly happy. Certainly nearly at peace. "I should go get the tea, my mother probably has it ready and waiting," she murmured, leaning forward to extricate herself from his arms. They only tightened, drawing her back.

"There's no rush," he replied, the baritone of his voice filling as he spoke in her ear. "It can wait a little longer."

She knew he wasn't just speaking of the tea.

AN – This is for the prompt Entree – Satisfying Complexity, Lasting Impression. Again, I see this as a deepening of their relationship. They're more openly honest with each other, yes, emotions are still complex, but it's okay.


	5. Fruits and Cheese An Understanding

It was snowing. Normally Kagome couldn't care less about the weather patterns, but today she enjoyed the snow. She stood at the large window overlooking the city and watched as each tiny flake floated and fluttered toward the ground. Many wouldn't make it, having been melted away by the heat rising from the earth. But many would. She could already see a small, thin blanket form along the streets. Another couple of hours and traffic would be coming to a stop. The people below, tiny little specs from what she could see, would continue walking, shopping, going to and from work and school, but traffic would lessen. She was well-prepared to spend the day indoors curled in front of Sesshoumaru's large television. She had opted to return to his apartment after her shift as the wind picked up and the air became damp and bitterly cold. She knew that he wouldn't mind her stay as he had given her a copy of his key not too long ago. It was certainly far safer than trying to navigate the slick roads. The first snowfall of the season was one that was always troublesome.

Drivers forgot how to drive.

It sometimes baffled her to think about how far she had come with her relationship with Sesshoumaru. Five hundred years ago they were enemies. She delighted in Inuyasha's ability to best the elder brother. She stood defiant against him as he tried to kill her time and time again. It was a far cry from today. Even earlier this year, sitting with him in the coffee shop had been almost surreal, and certainly awkward. How did one make the transition from enemies to that of friendship? They both knew there was a bond there that they couldn't ignore, and they were no longer in a time where one could merely kill the other.

Though there were days when she wanted to.

Some things never changed no matter how much time has passed. He still remained aloof and stoic to the outside world. He could freeze a person with a single glare and often, while they were out at a restaurant, she would cringe. It attracted attention, something she didn't want. At least not like that. She already received enough from her co-workers every time he would step into the book store. They still held their weekly date there, fifteen minutes while he read and she drank coffee. His library was located in the penthouse below theirs, also owned by him. It was impressive, massive and one that would make many of the public and privately owned libraries jealous. As she began her schooling once more, she could often find what she was looking for with him, and it was more comfortable than spending hours in the college library.

"Pizza," he stated as he walked through the front door, dropping his keys on the counter. When had he become so normal? She wondered. There were habits there that she would never once have associated with the great Sesshoumaru-sama. He had keys he put on the counter, and though he had a closet, he would often rest his overcoat on the back of a chair. The back of his cupboard hid the food that one tried not to carry much of, such as cookies, chocolate, candy. When he was focused on his work he would chew gum. The way he would pop the bubbles drove her nuts. What was even more irritating was the fact that this was a habit that he wasn't aware of. However, it didn't make him seem so untouchable anymore.

He was almost normal.

"It's supposed to continue like this for the rest of the night and into morning," he murmured as he stood behind her. She could feel him behind her, the heat of his body combined with the cold air he brought in with him. His proximity sent shivers down her spine, though for a different reason than it once would have. She was comfortable with him. More than comfortable. She had spent time with him out in public, had spent time with him here in his penthouse. The guest bedroom had been made up for her on many occasions and now contained several of her personal belongings. She had a couple of outfits that were stored here on the nights she would make a last minute decision to stay.

Slowly she was drifting away from the life she had become complacent in and was moving forward in a new direction, and though she had yet to sleep with him, she knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time. It seemed to be the direction in which they were heading. Intimacy had been something she feared after she lost Inuyasha. The pain of his loss was blinding in the beginning and she had sworn not to attach herself to another man after that. She didn't want to suffer like that again. She had dated, but stopped when she felt like it was getting to be a bit much.

Yet she was oddly okay with wanting to sleep with him.

His hands fell upon her shoulders, pulling her back against him. He was warm, solid and welcoming, everything she thought he would never be. Physical contact was important to him, perhaps because he had gone so long without it. Instantly she relaxed, taking him in. It was a slow courtship, Kagome thought, but then she wanted it slow, and he could afford to take his time. Her life was nothing but a blink of an eye for him. In forty years she'll have aged considerably and he would still be the same, young, strong, sexy as hell she was ready to admit. He had the patience needed to wait for her to be ready, and she knew she could give him forty years of happiness. Or so she hoped. Maybe it would just be forty years of contentment, time with somebody who really knew him, as opposed to somebody who just wanted to know the persona he portrayed.

"The college has declared its intent to cancel classes for the day tomorrow," he continued, one hand falling from her shoulder to her waist, holding her there while the other found a stray tendril of hair to play with.

She watched their reflection through the window, ignoring the snow for the time being. "I only had one class anyway, it doesn't matter."

"You could have had more," he replied, meeting her eyes.

She saw the irritation there, as well as the exasperation, and tried not to laugh. It was an old conversation between them, and one that often led to battle if she left it get out of hand. "I've told you several times, this is something I have to do myself. I have to know that I have what it takes to get what I want. Falling behind in my studies while I was fighting Naraku was my fault, my choice. Though my family won't admit it, my failure in school has brought shame on them. Until you came funding for the shrine was almost non-existent. I need to show them and myself that I'm not a failure. Letting somebody else pay for my schooling is an easy way out. I'm not accepting hand outs."

"You will accept scholarships," he accused.

"Yes, because I have earned those. They weren't given to me out of pity."

"I do not pity you."

"No," she conceded, placing her hand over his to settle him. She could feel his aura become agitated. This was never an easy topic between them. "You don't pity me. This is why you're letting me do this my way. I need your support on this, and you offer me help in so many other ways. You're a wealth of knowledge, Sesshoumaru. You are wiser than any of my teachers and you understand the way of the world more so than anybody else. I depend on that in my school work. How often have you pulled all nighters with me helping me write my papers? How often have you spent hours on the phone with me while I picked your brain? And I know how much you hate the phone," she teased, smiling.

"You want me for my brain alone," he replied, deadpan, and it took her a moment to realize he had made a joke. They were so few and far between that they always caught her by surprise, but it was another indication that he was clearly comfortable with her.

"Exactly. I don't need money. I have a job, I can make my own, but you give me far more already than what money can buy. I'm thankful for that."

"Hn."

The argument was over and they had settled into a comfortable silence again, watching the snow fall. One year ago she stood at a window watching snow fall and had wondered in what direction her life was heading. She had just gotten the job in the book store. Her hours were sporadic, her school dreams on hold and her family on the brink of poverty. The outside, much like her life, was frozen, cold, and barren. She was not one who found depression easily; though often her emotions overruled common sense, but she knew that day she could have easily walked in a direction in which she could not return from. Feeling Sesshoumaru's support behind her, she was immensely thankful she walked away instead.

"Thank you," she whispered, turning in his arms so she could face him. Slowly, she stood on her toes and reached up, pressing her mouth in silent thanks against the column of his throat. The corded muscles beneath only hinted at the strength and power she felt beneath his skin. He was like steel covered in silk, lean, graceful, deadly. She had once witnessed his true power and stood in fear of it. Today she stood in awe instead.

Maybe she was ready now. She certainly knew him as well as she could on the outside. In eight months she had learned to understand him in a way that no other human could. In many ways she understood him better than she had understood Inuyasha.

And she had one hundred percent of his devotion. He lived between both worlds, and yet all of him was focused on her.

"Stay," he requested, his hand sliding up her back to settle in her hair as he tilted her head upward. It was as if he understood the monumental decision she had just made. Maybe he had, Sesshoumaru was intuitive like that. He had broken her resolve and somehow made her whole again, a feat that no other had been able to accomplish. The least she could do was give him this, take the next step.

And it was easier than she thought.

"Okay."


	6. Dessert Towards Tomorrow

They had forgotten to close the blinds last night, Kagome thought as she stretched out on the massive bed. The pre-dawn light was beginning to filter in, soft purples and yellows just giving enough light to the room so she could see things, not that it mattered much. Over the last year she had learned to manoeuvre her way around his bedroom without tripping over obstacles in the dark. Sesshoumaru was not messy or disorganized in the least, and though he had his quirks, such as hanging his coat over a chair in the main room, everything in his apartment still had a place.

She had disrupted his routine for a while when she left home and made the decision to live with him. She was not disorganized, but her organizational skills differed from his. There were days when she thought the things they fought over were going to tear them apart. Even last night he was displeased with finding week-old leftovers in his fridge. She had made the meal as a surprise to him, a new recipe that didn't turn out to be so great. He had eaten it quietly, more so to humour her, but she had forgotten to throw out what was left. For a dog, he was incredibly pristine, more than she, who happened to be human.

The battle between them had been one of epic proportions and she found it odd that he would get mad over something so small. Both of them had stormed off in opposite directions of the apartment to do their own work. He had business he needed to work on; she had an essay due in two days. Somehow, despite their fight, she had been able to focus her attention on the task at hand. And come bedtime, it was as if the two of them hadn't had an altercation at all.

His body was just as warm as it always was, his lips just as inviting, and she found herself reaching for the hair she didn't realize she had missed until he grew it back again. She had grown so used to his short, shaggy hair that she had forgotten what it was like long. Last night it acted like a silk shield as it was draped over her. It only added to the intimacy.

Pressing her lips to his bare shoulders, Kagome smiled as his arms wrapped themselves tightly around her, preventing her from leaving the bed.

"I have to use the washroom," she whispered, brushing the long silver locks away from his face. Hooded, sleep-filled golden eyes stared at her for a moment. "I promise I'll come straight back," she continued as he reluctantly let her go.

Her thoughts were scattered this morning. She had finished her paper after midnight last night and Sesshoumaru would look at it later. Neither she nor he had anywhere they needed to be today. It was Saturday and both were determined to take a day for themselves. It was two years to the day since they had first met, just over a year since they first became truly intimate with each other. While they had worked through their pasts together, they had both agreed that this was a day that should be for them.

"Good morning," she murmured as she crawled into bed next to him again, curling into his warmth. This was the best part of the day as far as she was concerned, the minutes before either of them had to move to start their day. "No work," she sighed with a smile, confirming what she already knew.

"No work," he agreed, his hand lifting to fall on her back, stroking the soft skin there. She melted beneath his touch, a sign of great trust. Once upon a time she had dreamed of his brother touching her like this, and then she had learned to shy away from men who would think of touching her in such a matter. Now she found sanctuary in it. His claws didn't scare her like they once had. The fact that they had once tried to kill her didn't faze her anymore. In the beginning she had flinched when she saw his poison at work, well aware of the pain it could cause as well as the damage. But he had not turned them on her since that first day in his father's grave.

"More," she demanded, hoping he'd take the hint and put more pressure on his touch, massage away the sore spots and kinks from being bent over a desk for the bulk of an evening. She was already feeling rejuvenated from the previous night's events after lights out. He responded with ease, pulling her over him and finding the spot on the nape of the neck that would cause the most trouble. He smelled all male, she thought in bliss as her face was pressed against his shoulder. He never bothered to hide himself, something she was thankful for. He no longer smelled of the Earth like he used to, but it was something close. "I've talked my mother out of coming to visit today," she told him, pressing into him further.

"Good."

"I don't want to see her today," she admitted. Her relationship with her family had been strained since she informed them of her desire to move in with Sesshoumaru. Neither wanted to marry. It was a ridiculous to even consider binding her life to his or vice versa. She wasn't even sure if she loved him, or if he loved her, at least in the way that she believed love should be. But she did feel as if she were a part of him, and he a part of her. Somehow, since they had found each other again, she had managed to become an extension of himself, and she was thankful for this.

Nobody in the world, not even her mother who witnessed her darkest moments, understood her like Sesshoumaru. That was a feat in and of itself.

"Your plans?" he asked, in reference to what she would do instead of sit with her mother. He understood her reluctance to see the woman. It was unheard of for a shrine maiden to live with an unmarried man.

"Lie in bed all day," she teased, moving her hands up to play with his ears. She loved his ears. So different from Inuyasha's, but just as fascinating. She could feel his body vibrate beneath hers as she rubbed them.

"Keep it up..." he warned and she grinned. They weren't nearly as soft as Inuyasha's, or as cute, but they had their perks as well. Much like a dog, Sesshoumaru could often be found groaning and kicking his feet when she touched them. He despised it, she loved it. He didn't seem as untouchable when he was like this. Still, she dropped them and lay her head down next to him instead.

"My mother is waiting for a wedding," she finally admitted, opening up to what was really bothering her as of late. "She's not happy with this arrangement."

"And you?"

"Marriage is pointless, don't you think? People fall in and out of love every day. Inuyasha loved two women and it made Kikyou bitter and myself miserable. Marriage would have only complicated it, being tied to one woman while still wanting the other."

"And you think I'm like Inuyasha?" There was no anger in his voice, no malice. He understood her better than that, just as she understood him. They were devoted to each other, comfortable with each other. Happy even. He wouldn't contemplate another woman while he was with her, just as she hadn't thought of being with another man since meeting up with him almost two years ago.

"You know better," she replied, swatting him. "I just don't know why we have to complicate things. I'm happy. For the first time since I returned, I'm truly happy, maybe for the first time since I first fell into the well."

"It would merely be a signature on a piece of paper," he argued, playing devil's advocate. "It would take all of ten minutes to arrange and two minutes to finalize." His words were enticing, if that was what she were looking for. It would certainly satisfy her mother. She had never wanted her mother to suffer for her actions. She had suffered enough standing by all of those years, knowing the dangers she faced fighting by Inuyasha's side. It would be something Kagome never wanted her own daughter to face...if she had one. But then she would be bound to Sesshoumaru, just as he would be bound to her. There would be no choice if one of them chose to leave. There would really be no choice if they remained together. The piece of paper would take away free-choice.

"You need to change perspectives on this," he argued as he continued to stroke her back. "We're already together. I know you have no intentions of walking away. You are not the type of girl to 'flit' from male to male. It took you years to get over Inuyasha. If one of us wanted to walk away, we could still do so, no repercussions."

"Except the stigma of divorce," she replied bitterly. Still, he was beginning to make sense. If anybody could keep it quiet and free of ill intent, it would be Sesshoumaru.

"Divorce is not an option for you and I. You think now that it could happen, but if it could, then neither of us would be here right now. We go beyond what a piece of paper could offer. You're already bonded to me, just as I'm bonded to you. We don't need marriage to stay together. I'd sooner not have to deal with the details that come with a marriage, but in the end it's a formality, and if it makes eases your strained relationship with your family, why not?"

They were silent for a few minutes and while she thought initially that it might have been uncomfortable given their topic of conversation, it turned out to be more contemplative than anything else. Sesshoumaru didn't strike her as a man, or youkai, who would propose marriage so easily, and years ago she would have accepted heartily. When had she changed and become so jaded? When did romance die? It wasn't all that long ago when she sat around with her friends gushing about boys. She had her own stories of Inuyasha to tell, ones that made him out to be more like Prince Charming than the confused boy that he really was. While her friends' accusations were technically true, she had felt the need to defend him. Was it to defend him or justify her feelings? While she used to blame her pain on Inuyasha and his inability to choose, it was, in fact, her fault. She didn't move forward when she should have. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. There was no way for him to ever have chosen without there being pain that followed. Even if he chose her, he would still be drawn to Kikyou and vice versa.

But with Sesshoumaru, it was an entirely different story. And he was right; he would remain committed to her. He just had to say so and she believed him. Not once had he lied to her, nor had he ever tried to cover up the truth. She reached over across his chest and grabbed his arm, entwining her fingers with his, and lay there a minute staring at them. His were pale against hers, his fingers long and slender, yet they seemed to fit. Even the claws seemed to fit as he carefully made sure they didn't harm her. He always made sure.

It would be a leap of faith, she thought. She hadn't taken one of those in years. Maybe it was time to do so again.

"My mother would want to see more than a signature on a mere sheet of paper."

He chuckled beneath her. So much had changed. Neither of them were the same anymore, and it was okay. They worked well together, they understood each other. Whatever they ended up doing would be okay too. He was right, in the end it was merely a signature on a piece of paper. They were already bonded.

"What do you want?" Sesshoumaru asked, pulling her so she lay atop of him. His amber eyes intensified and for a moment, they looked like they could read her soul.

"You," she replied, gazing back at him. "Just you."

END

AN

Thanks for sticking around. The story was written for Dokuga_contest's Six Course Challenge, which required it to follow 6 different prompts in the order they were presented. This is the sixth and final chapter, following the prompt: Dessert – Melting sweetness, finishing touch. A big thanks goes to Wiccan for her beta work on this. I don't say it enough, but she's awesome.


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